Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has quietly made way for Congress president Sonia Gandhi for a function slated to be held in Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Sunday for Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, four-time Congress president, on his 150th birth anniversary. Dr Singh was supposed to be the chief guest at the event that marks year-long celebrations in memory of the distinguished leader from Uttar Pradesh. When Gandhi expressed her desire to attend, the event was postponed to Tues.
Priyanka also lauded her mother, calling her the bravest woman for overcoming huge difficulties during her record 19-year tenure as the Congress chief.
The highlight of Tuesday's debate on Operation Sindoor was the speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the rebuttal by Congress's Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi coming a close second.
Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, the party said in a statement.
The direction came on an application filed in a suit by Congress member Pridhwyraj P, who was suspended from the party in 2019, seeking directions to quash the suspension order on the ground that it was in violation of the party's rules and by-laws.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi has come across tough resistance from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the issue of sacking tainted ministers in his Cabinet. For now, Dr Singh is having it his way, but voices of dissent are growing louder. Renu Mittal reports.
Several BJP voters say the Ram temple sentiment may give the ruling party a fillip but are also aware of the herculean task at hand and concede that it is a daunting electoral contest for Dinesh Singh, who lost to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy on Wednesday condemned Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj'' "act" in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, describing it as ''unfortunate'' and ''not expected''.Swaraj had alleged that Congress President Sonia Gandhi had instructed party members of Parliament to interrupt her speech.
In the past the Congress had cold-shouldered overtures from the Samajwadi Party chief, leading to bad blood between the two parties.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday ruled out any "damage" to the United Progressive Alliance government in the wake of electoral outcomes in which, she said, wrong choice of candidates and weak organisation in Uttar Pradesh played a role in the party's dismal performance.
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar had asked Rahul Gandhi to tone down the criticism of Savarkar and reminded the Congress leader that the real fight of the opposition parties was with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
Senior Congress leader from Andhra Pradesh, G Venkataswamy, who created a flutter by demanding Congress President Sonia Gandhi's resignation as party president, on Wednesday said he is ready to withdraw all his comments.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has convened a meeting of party general secretaries and state in-charges on March 26 to discuss organisational elections, the party's membership drive and the current political situation besides planning agitational programmes.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday wrote to the Enforcement Directorate seeking postponement of her appearance by a few weeks till she recovers completely from Covid and a lung infection.
Filing of nominations for the post of Congress president is scheduled to begin on Saturday with a contest between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor on the cards.
'If we want to defeat the anti-secular forces, then all of us should put aside our differences to form a compact alliance,' the Congress chief said.
The visit comes amid the campaign for the November 25 assembly polls in Rajasthan, where the Congress hopes to return to power.
While a massive crowd gathered of 25,000 thronged Congress President Sonia Gandhi's rally in Keshod, only 3,000 showed up when the Gujarat chief minister campaigned in the Junagadh town. Prasanna D Zore reports
Asked about the organisational changes made by Gandhi and the subsequent reported statements by some leaders who had written to her over party reforms, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said he had not seen a single statement by any Congress leader on the issue and cannot comment on that.
With groupism and dissidence having affected the party's poll prospects recently, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday asked partymen to herald a new beginning of discipline and cohesion in the general elections.
The central election authority of the Congress met and finalised the initial program of the process.
The stage is set for a direct contest between NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan and joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy for the September 9 vice-presidential election. Nominations have been scrutinized and accepted.
Gandhi, then a newly appointed Congress chief, had staked claim to form the government at the Centre after the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had lost the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 1999.
The presidential poll is fast becoming a race for posturing by political parties, all of who are keeping an eye on the general election scheduled for 2009
Congress president Sonia Gandhi will flag off the march on Saturday.
Congress sources have disclosed that Sonia is probably away from the country, visiting her ailing mother, Paola Maino.
After Congress president Sonia Gandhi met leaders of the G-23 grouping to resolve internal party issues, former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday said "indulging the dissenters too much" will encourage more dissent.
Congress expels writer for Sonia remarks
Bangladesh's prime minister met Advaniji and Soniaji on her short visit to New Delhi.
Also, with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra not in the running for the party president's post, a non-Gandhi would be at the helm after over 24 years following the polling on Monday and counting on Wednesday.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday kick-started the poll campaign in Himachal Pradesh with a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and accused it of not making any efforts to take the benefits of Central schemes to the poor and needy in the state.
Sonia Gandhi is on her first visit after her re-election.
"In almost all my addresses to you, I have felt compelled to refer to another issue, that of attendance. Regular attendance is part of our basic duty and responsibility," she said, chiding the MPs, who have a poor attendance in Parliament.
Rahul Gandhi may also contest from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Rae Bareli, a seat which was previously held by Sonia Gandhi.
Gehlot said Sonia Gandhi should continue to lead the party and if she has made up her mind, then Rahul Gandhi should come ahead and be the Congress president as the country faces the biggest challenge to save its democracy.
Didi will skip the meeting in protest against the violence unleashed in Bengal allegedly by Left Front and Congress workers during a trade union strike. She slammed the 'double standards' of the Congress and the Left.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday asked the states ruled by the party to implement in "letter and spirit" the Food Security Scheme which it sees as a game changer in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. She held deliberations with Congress chief ministers on how to implement the food scheme, seeking to provide cheap foodgrain to 82 crore people, for which an ordinance was promulgated last week.
Rajiv, who was the sixth and youngest prime minister of India, was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu during a poll campaign.
A day after the Congress brainstormed over its electoral reverses, senior leader M Veerappa Moily on Monday said Sonia Gandhi should take "full control" of the party with a free hand to change non-performing leaders, and asserted that a "mere culture of tweets and social media propaganda" would not take the organisation forward.
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